Appointment of Special Advisor to the Board

Guild Esports PLC

03 July 2023

 

Press release

3 July 2023

Guild Esports PLC

("Guild Esports", "Guild", or "the Company")

Appointment of Special Advisor to the Board

Guild Esports PLC (LSE: GILD), a global teams organisation and lifestyle brand, is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Duval as Special Advisor to the Board with immediate effect.

Mr Duval is a seasoned executive and financier with 25 years of experience in the sports, media and entertainment sectors in Europe and the US, where he has deployed and advised on deals with an aggregate value in excess of $5 billion.

Over his career, Mr Duval has built networks and businesses in areas of specific relevance for Guild's growth strategy. He is presently the CEO and Co-Founder of Empowerment IP, a rights monetisation firm that provides advisory services and strategic capital to IP holders across the above-mentioned sectors and directly advises on transactions involving celebrity equity, brand equity, globally recognised  intellectual property and brand development. Prior to this, Mr Duval co-founded 23 Capital, the first sector branded and largest direct lender focused on sports, media and entertainment that was backed by billionaire George Soros, and which deployed approximately $3.7bn and made institutional capital a net return in excess of $2 billion.

Mr Duval has deep experience in the field of structuring and monetisation of IP assets and has worked with top sports and entertainment assets globally, including the Premier League, Tennis Australia, The NBA, NFL and NFL Players Association and entertainment multinationals Live Nation and AEG, amongst others.

Mr Duval's experience in high-level transactions includes providing structuring and capital advisory to major groups including music giants Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, as well as Oak View Group, a global sports and live entertainment development and investment company. He has also provided structuring and funding for European football transfers with an aggregate value over $2 billion, with clients including top-flight clubs Barcelona, Manchester United, and Real Madrid. Separately, he has co-created and co-structured digital IP deals with leading footballers, including Neymar da Silva Santos Jr and Lionel Messi.

Jasmine Skee, CEO of Guild Esports, commented: "I warmly welcome Stephen as Special Adviser to Guild. He has highly valuable expertise and has developed an extensive track record in intellectual property monetisation as well as in the sporting and entertainment worlds. We look forward to his strategic insights as we continue our strong focus on growth and strategic partnerships, operational excellence and financial discipline."

For further information please contact:

Guild Esports
Jasmine Skee Chief Executive Neil Thapar Investor Relations	via Tancredi [phone] [phone]
Tennyson Securities
Corporate Broker Peter Krens	[phone]
Tancredi Intelligent Communication Media Relations
Helen Humphrey Charlie Hobbs Jasmine Gadhavi [e-mail]	[phone] [phone] [phone]

About Guild Esports:

Guild Esports PLC is a global fan-focused team organisation and lifestyle brand that fields professional players in gaming competitions under the Guild banner. Our in-house training academy aims to attract and nurture the best esports talent, and our goal is to provide the ultimate entertainment experience alongside a distinctive lifestyle brand authentic to the esports community worldwide. Guild is led by an experienced management team of entertainment sector and esports veterans and co-owned by David Beckham. The Company is headquartered in the UK and its shares are listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (ticker: GILD) and on the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States (ticker: GULDF). Please visit www.guildesports.com for more information.

 

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